August is here. Unbelievable. In a few more weeks, for most of us anyway, school will start again. The start of the school also brings with it sports, school events, homework, scouts and everything else that keeps us in a constant state of chaos for nine months of the year.
I swear it was only yesterday that summer was starting. But in a few weeks I’ll have a kindergartner and second grader running around the house. Busy school days will bring in the fall and trips to the pumpkin patch. Before you know it the craziness of the holidays will be upon us.
But wait, I did say August didn’t I? It’s not like it’s the end of August; we do still have time to enjoy a little summer! Were there things you said you were going to do this summer that you haven’t yet?
Well consider this your (and my) kick in the behind to go out there and do it! If your at loss for ways to enjoy the last few weeks of summer vacation, that’s OK. Here at Life360 we’ve come up with a handful of posts since the start of summer to give you ideas on how to spend your summer. And it’s not too late to take advantage! Read More
It’s great that the summer weather encourages kids to play outdoors, but what backyard hazards should parents be aware of? Here are the fifteen most dangerous backyard hazards. The findings are based on a survey conducted by the Home Safety Council and ranked by number of yearly injuries. The numbers in parentheses are injuries including an added estimation of the injuries that go unreported.
Monkey bars and climbing equipment (70,703 injuries)
Much ado about the dreaded “summer slide,” when kids typically lose up to two months of academic progress after a lazy, unengaged summer. So how do we prevent it? New research from the American Association of School Administrators has an answer: summer reading, and make it free.
Of course, with every school district in the country under huge financial pressure to slash budgets, how can they provide free books to students? The study showed that providing free books only cost about $50 per child, considerably less expensive than summer learning programs.
But the most surprising finding wasn’t that reading prevented the summer slide (I mean, duh), but that it didn’t matter what students read. In fact, kids were more likely to do better the following year if they were able to pick their own book. The most popular book in the study, which took place in Florida, was a biography of Britney Spears.
I don’t know how much I want kids reading biographies of Britney Spears, but hey, if it keeps them from suffering from the “summer slide,” then I guess I’d rather have them reading about pop stars than listening to them. (Also, then I won’t have to hear it from the other room.)
Should schools provide free books to students during the summer?
There is a great line in a recent episode of Modern Family where a mom declares that a family vacation is more like a business trip for moms. So true! We are forced to do the same jobs as we do at home but without the comforts of our own home. Laundry at home is bad enough but at a motel? It’s hard to relax when we are so stressed taking care of everybody else. Who has time to relax or have fun?
Since money will be tight until my stepdaughter graduates from college, our vacations consist of visits to my family. We can stay for free and do laundry at all hours without quarters. Right now, we are at my dad’s in the Berkshires where we come every summer. It takes an entire day to travel here but it is worth it.
We have been making this trek since my boys were babies and they are finally good little travelers. Gone are the days of diaper bags, multiple changes of clothes, and strategies for handling meltdowns. They pack for themselves and now I don’t even check their bags. We did have an incident a few years ago where Eric tried to pack a huge stuffed Spider-Man doll and an inflated balloon in his backpack, but this year they both packed their own backpacks and suitcases (which they roll themselves!). Read More
Continuing our tradition of trying to give you as manycreative summeractivity ideasas possible (y’know, so your kids don’t get bored or drive you crazy), Love and Be Loved’s has a list of 101 things to do this summer. Here are the first ten:
Picnic under the shade of a tree
Star gaze
Fly a kite
Set up your own lemonade stand
Throw and outdoor party
Play in the rain
Go to the zoo
Surprise someone you love with a special gift
Make homemade ice cream
Plant a flower, watch it grow
This is seriously a gorgeous post with even more gorgeous photos. Check out the 91 other ideas at Love and Be Loved.
I think Tanner would agree with me when I tell you that he has had a pretty fun summer vacation up until this point. We have spent countless hours around water whether it’s been a pool, lake, the San Francisco Bay or Pacific Ocean.
We were in Lake Tahoe for the Fourth of July where we basically planted ourselves on a beach for four days. It was crowded as could be, but Tanner remained happy with a shovel and a deep hole dug at the water’s edge.
I enjoy taking him places where I know he will have a good time, and it’s easy to travel with him because he tends to just go with the flow of things. I always pack enough bedding so that in the evenings I can create a cozy nest for him to sleep in much like at home. He doesn’t need much when we travel — a few books, some of his best toys and a comfortable place to sleep at night will do. (OK, well, maybe some chicken strips thrown in there for good measure.) Read More
At Momlogic, Momstrosity has taken the controversial position of calling for a ban on the world’s most dangerous footwear: flip-flops. That’s right, flip-flops. And she actually has a pretty compelling argument, other than the fact that they’re a fashion faux pas.
“To have young children who are still working out their coordination running around in barely there rubbery shoes is just plain dumb. Even preschooler teachers know that,” she writes. “So why don’t we follow that advice at home? In my opinion, footwear should be consistent with the activity, and playing should always require closed-toed shoes. And last time I checked, kids are always at play.”
It’s true, flip-flops aren’t great for safety reasons, but they’re perfect for summer days when you’d rather not wear shoes at all!
A few weeks ago, Tony had some great tips on getting kids to use their imagination. But how can parents make sure their yard is appropriate and encourages outdoor play and exploration? Here are six tips, courtesy of Simple Mom.
Emphasize open space. The more physical space your kids have, the more space they have to imagine and explore.
Plant different flowers and plants. Having a garden lets kids watch fruits and vegetables grow.
Keep safety in mind. Avoid dangerous plants and using pesticides and fertilizers, especially where your kids will likely play.
Encourage space to build/create. Kids like to dig; get a sandbox!
Use your imagination. The best way to encourage your children’s imagination is to show them how. Create forts between trees or pretend that your garden is a hideaway.
Make space to relax. Kids have a lot of energy, but even they can get tired at some point. A shaded area to rest will encourage them to stay outside even when they’re pooped.
This piece is somewhat of a Bay Area-centric story, but don’t stop reading just because you live in Florida. You never know when you might make a trip out west to visit San Francisco, and if you do, there’s a good chance that you will cross the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County.
Just for fun let’s just say you live here or have plans to make it out sometime in the near future. Here’s a cool place to put on your ‘to do’ list.
Directly across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco is the Marin Headlands. The Headlands have a long military history dating back to 1890s, and during World War II the Headlands were occupied by U.S. Forces as a defensive fortress against any hostile ships that may have tried to enter the SF Bay through the Golden Gate. Later, during the Cold War, the large guns protecting the Bay were decommissioned and replaced with antiaircraft missile sites. Read More
What can you take to the beach that’s eco-friendly and safer for you? Here’s our guide to the best green and eco-friendly products to take to the beach with you this summer! I present you the best beach guide handpicked by me out of dozens of products. Now let’s go to the beach and catch some waves! Read More
August is here. Unbelievable. In a few more weeks, for most of us anyway, school will start again. The start of the school also brings with it sports, school events, homework, scouts and everything else that keeps us in a constant state of chaos for nine months of the year. 
It’s great that the summer weather encourages kids to play outdoors, but what backyard hazards should parents be aware of? Here are the fifteen most dangerous backyard hazards. The findings are based on a survey conducted by the Home Safety Council and ranked by number of yearly injuries. The numbers in parentheses are injuries including an added estimation of the injuries that go unreported.
Much ado about the dreaded “summer slide,” when kids typically lose up to two months of academic progress after a lazy, unengaged summer. So how do we prevent it? New research from the American Association of School Administrators has an answer: summer reading, and make it free.
Continuing our tradition of trying to give you 
I think Tanner would agree with me when I tell you that he has had a pretty fun summer vacation up until this point. We have spent countless hours around water whether it’s been a pool, lake, the San Francisco Bay or Pacific Ocean.
At Momlogic, Momstrosity has taken the controversial position of calling for a ban on the world’s most dangerous footwear: flip-flops. That’s right, flip-flops. And she actually has a pretty compelling argument, other than the fact that they’re a fashion faux pas.
A few weeks ago, Tony had some great tips on 
This piece is somewhat of a Bay Area-centric story, but don’t stop reading just because you live in Florida. You never know when you might make a trip out west to visit San Francisco, and if you do, there’s a good chance that you will cross the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County.
